Nomad Farming Wiki
Welcome to the Nomad Farming Wiki UCT second year students propose a self-sustaining relief operation. Still in its conceptual stages, this WIKI provides instructions, graphically and otherwise, required to turn this into something real to help real people. What we propose is a box of all necessary farming equipment to help people to turn their own landscapes into self-subsistent farms, which will hopefully provide them with self-grown food into the future and possibly generate a source of income. The box, along with all farming necessities can turn into a small temporary shelter, or market stand to sell the produce. In a country, like South Africa, where lack of nutrition, job and home is prevalent throughout most of the population, we believe that by providing the people with means to help themselves will assist in many ways to generate a better well-being amongst people in South Africa/the greater African regions. See below for instructions on how to set-up your own farm, as well as where/when you should sow which types of fruits and vegetabes. Also, we have provided some easy recipes which you can use your own produce to cook and eat. Happy farming! The Unit Concept How to create your own compost Start the compost pile on bare earth. '''This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost from below. 1. '''Lay twigs or straw. This allows for drainage and aeration of the pile. 2. Add compost materials in layers, alternating between moist and dry. See below for a list of materials that can be used. 3. Add manure. This can be green manure such as clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, or grass clippings, or any nitrogen source. Manure activates the compost pile and speeds the process along. 4. Keep compost moist. This can be done by watering the pile occasionally. 5. Cover with anything available – such as wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps, old clothing or cloths. Covering the pile will preserve moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. This will also prevent the compost pile from receiving too much water via rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked. 6. Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This additionally aerates the pile adding oxygen to process the materials. As this can be a laborious step, it can be avoided or skipped by thoroughly mixing in course material like straw during step 2. If this is done, new materials should always be added to the top of the pile, and fresh compost be harvested from the bottom of the pile. Once your compost pile is established, add new materials by mixing them in, rather than by adding them in layers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion. What to compost Recipes 'Artichoke Soup' Servings: 6 Ingredients · 2 cans artichoke hearts · 2 1/2 cups chicken broth · 1/2 teaspoon salt · 1/2 teaspoon oregano · 1 tablespoon lemon juice · 2 cups half-and-half cream Directions: 1. ''Drain artichokes hearts, and cut off course tops. 2. 2. Puree the artichokes with chicken broth. 3. Pour into pan, add remaining ingredients and heat. 'Cheesy Pumpkin Polenta Fries' ''Serves: 4-6 '' ''Ingredients Instructions 1. Line a large 9x11 pan with parchment or wax paper. Set aside. 2. In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock and milk to a near boil. Add the olive oil, salt, and thyme. 3. Turn the heat down. Add the cornmeal, stirring constantly to prevent this from clumping. 4. Add the pumpkin puree and cheese. Cook for another five minutes, stirring constantly. 5. Pour the hot polenta mixture into the lined pan. Spread this out to make sure that the mixture is evenly distributed. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours. 6. Before leaving for your camping trip, take the pan out and cut the polenta into long strips, like fries. At the Campground 1. In a large saucepan, heat some oil until it's good for deep-frying. A great way to test this is by adding one small potato inside. The oil is hot enough when the small potato turns golden brown. 2. Deep-fry the polenta "fries" until they are golden brown. Place this on a plate lined with paper towels to drain away the extra oil. Serve immediately. Spinach Recipe ***· 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock ***· 1 cup low fat milk ***· 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ***· 1 teaspoon salt ***· 1 teaspoon fresh thyme ***· 1 cup yellow cornmeal ***· 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree ***· 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded ' ' Serves 4. INGREDIENTS 2 large bunches of spinach, about 1 lb Olive oil, extra virgin 3 cloves garlic, sliced Salt to taste METHOD 1 Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining. Put the spinach in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture. 2 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic is just beginning to brown. 3 Add the spinach to the pan, packing it down a bit if you need to with your hand. Use a couple spatulas to lift the spinach and turn it over in the pan so that you coat more of it with the olive oil and garlic. Do this a couple of times. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and turn the spinach over again. Cover the pan and cook for an additional minute. 4 After 2 minutes of covered cooking the spinach should be completely wilted. Remove from heat. Drain any excess moisture from the pan. Add a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately. 'Eggplant Soup' ' ' Ingredients 2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into thick chunks 2 tbsp. minced garlic 1 large sweet onion, cut into thick chunks 4 or more cups of chicken broth, to cover Salt and pepper to taste Directions For making a thick and creamy soup: The correct amount of broth is tricky because vegetables often shrink and also contain their own liquids. To ensure that the soup will not be too thin, remove 1-2 cups of broth after the cooking is finished and before you start blending. After a first blend, you’ll know if it needs more broth. Add in ¼ cup increments until you reach the desired creaminess. Pour three cups of broth into a large pot. Add garlic, onion, and eggplant. Add broth to barely cover the vegetables. (The eggplant pieces will float so push them down to figure out if they are “covered.”) Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. *: Cool and then puree in a blender or by using a hand blender Category:Browse Category:Compost